READ: John 13
THINK: Maggie Gobran grew up in a wealthy family in Cairo, Egypt. She received a private education and rose up the ranks as an academic to become a college professor. She lived her entire life in socioeconomic privilege until one day, as she walked the streets of Cairo, a child called out to her from atop a garbage dump saying, “Please don’t leave me.” Maggie’s heart was shattered for the starving child, and the countless others living in the surrounding slums. She felt, in that moment, a clarity of what and who God wanted her to be to the least and the lost. So, she gave up everything she had and started a ministry to reach the impoverished in her city, some of the poorest in the poor in our entire world. She has spent the last quarter-century as Mama Maggie, the woman who humbled herself to serve the least because she wanted to be like Jesus and that’s what he did. If you have 2 minutes to spare – hear her share a bit of her heart in her own words.
Jesus set an incredibly powerful example for all of us in John 13 by washing the feet of his disciples. The custom in that day was simply to provide water so that people could wash their own feet, or, if they were particularly worthy and honored guests to have the lowest servant wash their feet for him. In embodying this position – that of the lowest servant – Christ sent a powerful message. At first glance, it was so counter-cultural and shocking that Peter and the other disciples couldn’t even accept it. But Jesus explained that he was living out what he wanted them to do. He made it clear that the call for his disciples is to be like him, and to be like him is to humble yourself and give yourself up for the least and the lost. Christ did it, and so we must!
PRAY: Admit to God that it is challenging and difficult for you to humble yourself. Admit that sometimes you don’t want to serve the poor and the broken. Ask him to break your heart for what breaks his – just like he did for Mama Maggie – and line up your heart with his. Ask him to show you how he wants you to serve, and pray for the courage and humility to do it.
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